Featured Gun: Mossberg 800 Series Rifle

Many people think of Mossberg as just a shotgun company. While they are the maker of one of the most popular shotguns in America, their first product was actually a pistol. 

In addition Mossberg has produced a lot of rifles, one of them is this month's Featured Gun: The Mossberg 800

This story starts with the man who designed the Mossberg 800 series rifles: Ludwig (Louis) Wilhelm Seecamp.

Seecamp was born in Germany in 1901. During the 20's and 30's he was apprenticed in the Gunsmithing trade, reaching the pinnacle of Master Gunsmith. He went on to serve in the Third Reich's Gebirgsjaeger Unit (Mountain Troops) in the Eastern Front during World War II. 

During the War his knowledge of weapon design was supplemented with combat experience. He learned why grip angle, trigger reach and general ergonomics were so important, lessons many gun makers only get second hand.

Following the war he packed up the family and emigrated to North America, Canada first then settling in Connecticut where, in 1959, he secured work at O.F. Mossberg and Sons in New Haven.
After he retired from Mossberg in 1971 Seecamp opened up a shop and began performing double action conversions on 1911 pistols. 

In 1973 he started a company called L.W. Seecamp to produce a series of small semi-auto pistols that he designed.

Back to the Mossberg 800 rifle. 
By the mid 1960s the bolt action rifle had pretty much been perfected. Most bolt action rifles were based on the Mauser 98 with two types of feed systems. The standard Mauser controlled feed system which the Winchester model 70 used until the fateful year of 1964 and the Ruger model 77 still uses. The other type is called "push feed" which is what is used by the Savage 110 (introduced in 1958) and the Remington 700 (introduced in 1962).

Mossberg had been selling brand labeled shotguns and rimfire rifles to big retailers around the country including Montgomery Wards. Ward's branded their guns as "Western Field" and one of the largest suppliers of these guns was Mossberg. The Montgomery Ward Execs urged Mossberg to build an economy priced bolt action rifle in the popular calibers of the day. Seecamp was given the task of designing the rifle. 


In 1965 Mossberg introduced the Seecamp designed model 800. 

The first models, the 800A and 800B were chambered in 308 Winchester and 243 Winchester respectively. Then came the 800C in 22-250 Remington.

Montgomery Wards branded them as the Western Field models 780 (800A) and the 782 (800B)

The rifle was also brand labeled by Western Auto as the model 220 (220A, 220B & 220C). 
Soon a Mannlicher stock option became available, the model numbers were simply supplemented with an M eg; 800AM, 800BM etc. These came with a Mannlicher style stock and a "spoon style" bolt handle

A factory mounted scope option was also added, again the model numbers were given an "SM" designation.

The models B & C also came in a Varmint edition with longer 24" heavy contour barrels.

The rifles were popular enough that they stretched the action for chambering longer cartridges. The new model 810 came in 30-06 Springfield, 270 Winchester and 7mm Remington Magnum.

The sights were standard fare, the rear a folding unit, adjustable for windage and elevation. The front a ramp style held in by one screw, drift adjustable for windage.

The bolt which cocked on opening, housed an integral 2-position safety. 
The safety's location, convenient for right or left handed shooters, allows the bolt to be opened while engaged.
The bolt uses the push feed system made popular by Remington.

The floor plate was hinged and came with a latch for quick unloading of the magazine

The straight grained American Walnut stocks featured press checkering and came equipped with sling swivels

The one complaint leveled at the gun's construction was the plastic trigger housing. I read one account where a gun left in a truck's rear window rack, had the trigger housing warped by the heat and became unsafe.

diagram courtesy of Gun Parts Corp

Stats for Model 800 A, B & C

Action: Bolt Action, push feed
Calibers: 308 Win, 243 Win & 22-250 Rem
Weight: 7 lbs, 2 oz
Length: 42"
Barrel Length: 22" 
Years Produced: 1965- 1980
Qty Produced: approx. 150,000

As usual my Featured Gun articles are based on a gun I own, or have come into contact with. The model 800A below belonged to my neighbor, he asked me to clean it up so he could sell it. I completely went through the gun and made it pretty. It was built in late 1969 or early 1970.

Some before and after shots below. See my post on the clean up here.

Sources:

Handguns Magazine
American Rifleman
L.W. Seecamp Co.